With the cost of a 4-year college education increasing, many students and families are looking for ways to bring the total cost of college down. There are many ways to decrease the cost of a college education, like applying for financial aid and scholarships, completing college courses in high school, among others.

However, another good way to decrease the cost of a 4-year college education is to start at a community college.

Attending a community college has many benefits. Here are just a few examples:

• Many 4-year degrees require a set of core classes, or general education requirements, that all students are required to take. These are classes like writing, math, speech, and basic science courses. Almost all of these types of classes can be completed at a community college, and they can be completed at a price that is far less than what it would cost to take them at a 4-year school.

• Community colleges tend to have much smaller class sizes. You are not sitting in a lecture hall with 500 other students. Smaller class sizes mean you get to know your instructor well and can get the personalized attention that you may want or need, from the start.

• Community colleges provide a chance to explore your options. Not everyone knows what they want to be, what kind of career they want, or what they want to study as soon as they graduate from high school. This is completely normal. Community colleges give you an opportunity to explore the things that interest you at an affordable rate.

• Community colleges provide access to academic advisors who can help you plan your classes and transfer smoothly to a 4-year school. If you know what you want to study, academic advisors can help you plan the best path to the college of your choice. Even if you don’t know what you want to do, an academic advisor will be able to guide you around course selection until you make a decision.

Attending college is a big transition for most people. It is one of the first times that you are truly in charge of your education and path. If you are attending a community college, there will be lots of people at the college that will support you on your journey — you just have to ask. That is the key — you have to ask for help when you need it.

Here is some of the best advice for community college students, from current community college students:

• Know where you want to end up — know what 4-year school you want to end up at, as early as possible. Know what the admission requirements and deadlines are for that college or university. Understand the process for transferring.

• Talk with your advisor regularly — if you know what college you want to transfer to, let your advisor know. They can often help you tailor your classes to meet the requirements of your future college and major.

• Start communicating with an academic advisor at the 4-year school you want to attend. Establish a relationship early. They can help you understand your future major and make recommendations for classes that you can take at your community college. They can also help make sure that you are on track for transferring into your future major.

Advisors at 4-year colleges often have good working relationships with advisors at community colleges — they work together to help students achieve their goals.

• Get involved! There are lots of ways to be involved in clubs, organizations, and sports at a community college. Getting involved will make your college experience that much better.

• Take care of yourself — whether that is your physical, mental, or financial health, or anything else. There are resources at the community college that can help.

• People at the community college want you to succeed — your advisors, your teachers, everyone.

Ask for help when you need it. It can be scary if you are not used to doing it, but it is always worth it.

If you are thinking about attending a community college in Oregon, be sure to fill out your FAFSA or ORSAA and your Oregon Promise application.

The Oregon Promise application is due June 1, for most current high school seniors and you can find more information at https://oregonstudentaid.gov/grants/oregon-promise-grant/ . Oregon Promise is a state grant that helps cover tuition costs at any community college in Oregon.